Mark Hi. Congratulations...the cob house is looking very fine and cosy. I am planning a similar but more modest structure for sometime in the near future, perhaps 2011. We are living on the outskirts of Xalapa, Veracruz with 5 dogs and a donkey called Mercedes. Also working with vetiver to control soil erosion. We also have a problem with torrents of rainwater forming rivers in the rainy season and the solution is to dig serpentine trenches which of course slow down the speed of the run-off and also allow the water to deposit the loose dirt it brings down (full of nutrients etc from higher up). It is a labour-intensive remedy, but I see that you enjoy a few callouses on the hands and a healthy cardiovascular workout with a pick and a shovel. I am very interested in knowing more about the lime plaster you use. Is this the regular "cal" that you buy in a building materials store? I can see we have been reading the same books, Ianto Evans' Hand-sculpted house, Jenkins Humanure Book, and probably Kiko Denzer's Bread Oven book. I really enjoyed reading the blog. Best wishes to you and your lovely family. peace in 2010. Pete Brown.
the "cal" i am using is the bagged powder, sold all over mexico. i try to buy it as fresh as possible, warm if possible, and immediately put it in water, as the books say, for at least one year.
3 comments:
Looking good amigo!
Mark
Hi. Congratulations...the cob house is looking very fine and cosy. I am planning a similar but more modest structure for sometime in the near future, perhaps 2011. We are living on the outskirts of Xalapa, Veracruz with 5 dogs and a donkey called Mercedes. Also working with vetiver to control soil erosion. We also have a problem with torrents of rainwater forming rivers in the rainy season and the solution is to dig serpentine trenches which of course slow down the speed of the run-off and also allow the water to deposit the loose dirt it brings down (full of nutrients etc from higher up). It is a labour-intensive remedy, but I see that you enjoy a few callouses on the hands and a healthy cardiovascular workout with a pick and a shovel. I am very interested in knowing more about the lime plaster you use. Is this the regular "cal" that you buy in a building materials store?
I can see we have been reading the same books, Ianto Evans' Hand-sculpted house, Jenkins Humanure Book, and probably Kiko Denzer's Bread Oven book. I really enjoyed reading the blog. Best wishes to you and your lovely family. peace in 2010.
Pete Brown.
the "cal" i am using is the bagged powder, sold all over mexico. i try to buy it as fresh as possible, warm if possible, and immediately put it in water, as the books say, for at least one year.
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